Thursday, 28 July 2016

Giving Girls Dignity

It's one of those things that you don't really think about; what do women living in poverty use for feminine hygiene? The answer is 'nothing'. Even purchasing underwear is out of the reach of many, so girls and women often sit on rags or cardboard and wait it out. Others stuff scraps of fabric, leaves and even rocks into their underwear.Take a little time to think about that. Your first thoughts will be followed by the implications of this 'waiting period' - thousands upon thousands of women around the world are missing out on education and days at work. Not to mention the isolation. Imagine coping with this alongside the widespread stigma that is still imposed around menstruation. An enterprising organization Days for Girls International created a solution, a washable feminine hygiene kit.

This kit is more successful than versions that were tried out in the past as they are not bulky, wash well and the coloured fabric hides stains and can pass for wash-cloths when hung out to dry. We are using the template to take kits over to the girls in the Muvuma Orphanage. We have funded tailoring courses for two of the older girls and have donated sewing machines and fabric so that they can sew and sell the kits to the wider community. We have found that the solutions to the problems are often amazingly simple, it just needs people like you who are willing to volunteer a little time, a skill or donate funds to keep the wheels in motion. Contact us if you are able to sew kits or you can donate on line www.theonepersonproject.orgor at the Summerland Credit Union or mail to The One Person Project 10108 Julia Street, Summerland, V0H 1Z5

Contact usif you wish to sponsor the orphanage and see your dollars at work!

About Me

Denise Howie is an award-winning author and creative-writing tutor. Her published fiction has variously been described as ‘utterly charming’ and ‘quirky with a dark-underbelly.’
The author would like to point out that her non-fiction pieces are less capricious; this sensible but adventurous body of work (think Hermione Granger) has one goal and one goal only – to empower others. In her Denise Howie writing blog she adds a little oil to the stone on which writers hone their skills. The One Person Project blog aims to show how easy it is to provide the tools for self-sufficiency for a community in a developing country. Denise also creates content for businesses and organizations to connect with their audience. Charming or quirky can be applied as needed.